Premier League clubs embrace SIC Stadium Insurance initiative

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The Ghana Football Association’s committee with responsibility to organize and manage the country’s elite league competition, the Premier League Board (PLB) has gladly embraced the new SIC Insurance Company’s initiative to insure football fans who go patronize league and other matches at the major football arenas in the country.

Mr. Welbeck Abra- Appiah, chairman of the PLB said the policy has come at a right time, as it is exactly ten years since the infamous Accra Sports Stadium disaster occurred when the nation’s top two clubs, Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko clashed at the national Wembley on Wednesday May 9, 2001.

He expressed that it is about time that the top league in Ghana is organized in tandem with what is practiced internationally. According to Abra- Appiah, all the major leagues in the world have some aspect of insurance and it is right that the Ghana league is also insured.

He explained that the fans who go to the stadiums to watch matches are those who will gain in case there is an accident.

The PLB chairman hinted that with the record of SIC Insurance Company as the leading claims payment insurer in Ghana and AA rated in the world, they have the capacity and know- how to plan and implement the policy.

At a meeting with the SIC Insurance Company, the PLB supported the Stadium Accident Policy and all the Premier League clubs represented agreed to proposals on the policy and promised to propagate the message to convince football fans to fill the stands which have been minimized since the May 9 2001 disaster.

Mr. Vincent Sowah Odotei, Chief Executive Officer of Kumasi King Faisal noted that the SIC Insurance Company idea is very good and needs no negotiation. He said it is a way to make the stadium attractive again so that more people can watch games in comfort.

He suggested a way by which the main actors of the game, the players and officials could also benefit from the policy as it is only ticket bearing fans who stand the chance to be rewarded.

According to the GFA aspiring president, SIC Insurance Company has set the tone to revive the patronage of the league and it is a great idea to add some entertainment to the football match itself.

Mr. Albert Commey Aryeetey, PRO of premier club, Accra Hearts of Oak remarked that SIC Insurance Company have demonstrated their love for Ghana to rise to greater heights and the oldest existing club in Ghana will associate themselves with the new initiative.

Meanwhile, the SIC Insurance Company is planning to organize a raffle as an incentive to the package, where spectators can win a car and other attractive consolation prizes.

Mrs. Doris Awo Nkani, a director of SIC Insurance Company assured the PLB and the clubs that all the loop holes in the policy will be tightened and the best cover rolled out the rescue the game and the fans.

Mr. Benjamin Acolatse, Managing Director of SIC Insurance Company, who is one of the big brains behind the initiative said “this policy will save Ghana Football and the fans will return to the stands.”

The policy will be officially launched at the Ohene Djan Stadium on April 8, 2011. *